HARRISBURG — In an effort to increase the pool of attorneys available to provide civil legal services to those who cannot afford them, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has increased support for a student debt loan program for attorneys who work for legal aid organizations.

The Loan Repayment Assistance Program is not funded by tax dollars, but instead by pro hac vice admission fees which are paid by out-of-state attorneys who are not licensed to practice in Pennsylvania, but appear in Pennsylvania’s courts for a particular legal proceeding. Pro hac vice fee revenue has been on a steady decline, jeopardizing the sustainability of the loan program.

President Judge McCormick, Jr. and Judges Marsili and Regoli will not be hearing civil nor orphans’ court motions on Friday, June 12, 2015, as they will be attending the Bench/Bar Conference. Counsel should make arrangements to present motions on a prior or subsequent Friday.

From the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts
HARRISBURG — The number of medical malpractice case filings dipped last year to the lowest point since statewide tracking began in 2000.

The latest available figures compiled by the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts show there were 1,463 new cases filed in Pennsylvania’s civil courts in 2014, marking the fewest ever recorded.

The latest filings represent a 46.5 percent decline from the number posted in the “base years” of 2000-2002. In Philadelphia, the state’s judicial district with the largest caseload, the decline has been 68.3 percent during the same period.

HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania drivers were cited 1,410 times in 2014 for texting while driving and 711 times for using headphones while driving, according to statistics compiled by the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts (AOPC).

In Pennsylvania it is illegal for drivers to read, write or send a text message while driving. Pennsylvania’s “no texting” law, Title 75, Section 3316, took effect in March 2012. Since then, more than 3,940 tickets for texting while driving have been issued statewide. In fact, citations have increased each year:
2012 – 1,190
2013 – 1,340
2014 – 1,410

The Westmoreland County Court Language Access Plan (LAP) required by the Administrative Office of the Pennsylvania Courts became effective March 1, 2015. The goal of the LAP is to provide meaningful access to the court services for persons with limited English Proficiency (LEP) or who are deaf or hard of hearing. The forms to be utilized in implementing the LAP can be found on the Court Administration section of the Court's website.